I wasn't quite sure what Norberta
would be when I started -- as it turns out,
she wanted to be a baby dragon. But leave off
the wings and spines, and she looks like a dinosaur
or an alligator -- whatever works best for the
kid (or grownup) in your life.

To create a more scaly look
for the dragon, I used the stockinette pieces
with the purl side out. This has the added benefit
of hiding the wrapped stitches created when
using short rows to shape the body and the round
belly. So no need to worry about picking up
the wraps on the way back!

16 sts/20 rows
= 4 inches in stockinette stitch, with two strands
of yarn held together

PATTERN NOTES

[Knitty's
list of standard abbreviations and techniques
can be found here]

Instructions
for the Long-Tail Cast On can be found here.
Instructions
for the Backward Loop Cast On can be found here:

Reading the Schematic
Don't worry about matching measurements exactly
-- the knitting will stretch into shape when
stuffed.

The schematic shows the Body, Underside, and
Hind Leg pieces folded in half; the fold line
is indicated by a dotted lineCasting On and Binding
Off
CO using the Long-Tail method at the beg of
each piece. CO sts at row ends using Backward
Loop method.

To make assembly easier, leave slightly longer
than usual tails at the CO and BO ends of each
piece.

DIRECTIONS

This
project is worked with 2 strands of yarn held
together throughout.

Tail, Back, and Head

Note: While this piece and the front
and hind legs are being worked, the smooth,
knit side of the stockinette st fabric will
be considered the RS. When sewing the pieces
together, this will become the WS, and the
bumpy, purl side of the fabric will face out.

Belly and ChestThis piece and the wings are worked in
garter st, and as such have no RS or WS. However,
to help keep track of your place in the work,
a RS and WS have been designated. If desired,
use a safety pin to indicate the RS of your
work

Fold
a front leg in half lengthwise, with purl side
of fabric facing out. Use the yarn tails at
the CO edge to sew several running sts. Pull
yarn tight to gather. Repeat at the BO edge.
Add stuffing, and then use the tails to sew
the leg closed. Repeat for the other front leg.

Fold hind leg in half as
shown in the schematic, with purl side of fabric
facing out. Beginning at the CO edge, gather
the edge as described above. Sew side edges
together, leaving about 2 inches open. Add stuffing,
and then sew closed. Repeat for the other hind
leg.

Center the spines on the
back of the dragon; use CC to sew in place.

Starting at head, begin sewing
Underside to Body, stopping about halfway down
the neck. Make a small roll of stuffing, about
3 inches wide by 1 inch in diameter. Place inside
top back of the head to make the eye ridge more
prominent. Stuff the rest of the dragon head,
taking care not to dislodge the eye-ridge stuffing.
Continue sewing the Underside to the Body, leaving
about 4 inches open along one side. Sew tail
seam. Finish stuffing the dragon body and tail.
The stuffing should be firm, but not so full
that it shows through the fabric.

Place hind leg on main body
so that the larger end is about even with the
start of the underbelly, or where it looks best.
Sew securely in place. Repeat with other hind
leg on opposite side.

Place front leg on main body,
just above point where belly starts, or where
it looks best. Sew securely in place. Repeat
with other front leg on opposite side.

Place wing on main body,
about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch from spine, and centered
with the front legs, or wherever it looks best.
Sew securely in place. Repeat with other wing
on opposite side.

Use sewing thread and a sharp
needle to sew on button eyes, if desired. To
further emphasize eye ridge, sew on one button,
pass the thread through the head to the other
side, and pull in slightly before sewing on
the second button. Note: If the dragon will
be gift for a small child, replace the buttons
with embroidered eyes.

Squash the snout slightly
to flatten it. Then use CC yarn to embroider
two French knots for nostrils, sewing down through
the snout to the Underside to help keep the
snout slightly flat.

Optional: Use a scrap of
white yarn to embroider the teeth. To make the
fangs, finger crocheting two chains, and then
sew back up through the chain.

Weave in all yarn ends.

ABOUT THE
DESIGNER

Kate
Kuckro lives in San Francisco, where she spends
as much time as possible knitting, reading,
and baking (The first two work well together,
the third one not so much).

She has contributed patterns to Knitty, Big
Girl Knits, and Knitscene, and has several more
in the works. To see more of her work and to
read about her knitting inspirations and experiments,
please see her website.